Gleeful at the Corruption Cases of Regional Heads

Not yet into the second semester of this year, around 1.5 years since their inauguration, a total of eleven regional heads from the 2024 Pilkada have been arrested by the Corruption Eradication Commission. These regional heads were arrested on various alleged modes of fraud, indicating that many loopholes are being exploited by dishonest public officials. The first regional head to be arrested was the Regent of East Kolaka, Abdul Azis, in August 2025. The most recent is the Regent of Tulungagung, Gatut Sunu Wibowo, arrested in April 2026. This series of arrests is increasingly concerning, occurring within a relatively short timeframe. As an illustration, referring to KPK data from 2024, procurement of goods and services, as well as gratuities and bribes, remain dominant, accounting for more than 70 percent of corruption cases at the regency/city government level. The legal processes are still ongoing and have not yet reached final court decisions with legal force. However, this reality seems to confirm the decline in Indonesia’s Corruption Perception Index (CPI) score, from 37 in 2024 to 34 a year later. In the Southeast Asian region, Indonesia is already far behind Singapore (score 84) and other countries such as Malaysia (52), Timor Leste (44), and Vietnam (41). Despite numerous warnings about the importance of enforcing public officials’ integrity. So, what is the meaning of the oath and promise made by 961 regional heads and deputy heads on 20 February 2025, that they “will fulfil their duties as governors, deputy governors, regents, deputy regents, mayors, deputy mayors, to the best of their ability and as fairly as possible, uphold the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia and implement all laws and regulations as straightforwardly as possible, and serve the community, nation, and country”? Even in the retreat for regional heads from the 2024 Pilkada at the end of February 2025, the material included the importance of preventing and handling corruption in regional leadership. This phenomenon affirms that corruption remains deeply rooted as a latent disease within public officials. Ceremonies that echo anti-corruption commitments are still separated by a vast chasm from their implementation in the field. Without needing to calculate the proportion relative to the total number of regional heads across Indonesia, the arrest of eleven regional heads at the beginning of their terms is already a glaring danger signal.